Reduce sugar intake to 3% to protect against tooth decay, say researchers

Dietary sugars should make up no more than 3% of total daily energy intake to reduce the financial and social burdens of tooth decay, researchers have said.1

They have recommended a series of policy changes to help the public consume less sugar, including a ban on vending machines that offer foods and drinks laden with sugar, a sugar tax, and an end to sugar production in Europe.

The study, published in BMC Public Health, found that sugars are the only cause of tooth decay in children and adults.1 The researchers said that the treatment of dental diseases costs 5-10% of total health expenditure in industrialised countries. …